Dispensing tube cap



Oct. 2, 1934. J, A M|TCHELL 1,975,696

DISPENSING TUBE GAP Filed Sept. 5, 1955 @www j ..40 lower end of the cap Patented Oct. 2, 1934 UITED STAT-Ess P ATENT oFFicE DISPENSING TUBE CAP John A. Mitchell, Santa Barbara, Calif. Application .September 5, 1933, Serial No. 688,216 '10 Claims. (Cl. 2551-60) rhis invention relates tordispensing tubes or articles of like nature `and particularly toa cap therefor and to the means :for holding the cap in place lupon 'the tube. Tubes of this nature 45- which are used for paints, tooth paste and-other pasty materials are ordinarily providedvwith a screw-threaded-cap which screws on to the screwthreaded end of the tube. A'cap of this -cnaracter is very liable to be lost or at lany rate mislaid and one of the objects of my invention, therefore, is to provide ra cap which is never--separated from the tube itself.

.A 'further object vof the invention is to provide a cap which is rotatable upon an axis ex- .15 tending longitudinally oi' the tube so that it lmay be turned into or out of its closing position and a `further object is to provide resilient means 'for urging said cap toward the orifice when the cap has been turned into its closing position.

f Still a further object is to provide camming means .acting as the cap is turned from its closing position to raise the cap from the Vsurface of the discharge end of the tube and which will act Y to vhold the cap in its closed Aposition whenthe cap is turned to cover the discharge orifice ofthe tube so that the cap cannot become accidently displaced :from `its lclosing position but must be deliberately turned away from its closing position.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompany- .ing drawing, whereinz Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper end of the paste tube, the cap being section; y

Figure 2 is a iront elevation oi the paste tube, the cap being in section;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the showing the cam face thereon; Y

Figure 4 is the under side faceview of the cap shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a top p an View of the nozzle with m the cap removed;

Figure 6 is'a fragmentaryvertical sectional view through a modiied fform of cap, the upper end of the .tube being shown in'elevation;

l 'Figure 7 is a top plan view of the nozzle "50 shown in Figure 6 with the top removed;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper end of the tube showing the vcap in `its closed position.

Referring to the drawing10,designatesa compressible tube such as is used fory paints, tooth ing engagement with the cam surfaces '24 bythe paste and the like. This tube terminates `at its discharge end in-.an upwardly extending member 10 which has a flat t'opll. This member fma'y have any desired form but -is shown as -approxivmately rectangular in top plan view. This -mem- B0 `ber 10 is 4provided with the discharge orifice '12 formed with a raised flange 13, the-outer tace of this iiange `being inclined .outward .and downward to the surface 11. lAttached to fthe member 10 and extending upward therefrom `isa *85 spindle 14, the upper end of which carries a spring. 1n Figure l, this spring lis shown as having La substantially straight upwardly extending portion -15 and then extending downward and outward beyond the shank as at 16 and having lan 10 upwardly curved terminal portion 17.

The cap 1-8 is .solid vand has la length equal yto the length =of the portion 10. V'Ihisfcap is provided with a bore 119 which receives the spindle l14:. The

upper end of this bore is formed with an enlarge- 75 vment 20 providing .an annularly extending shoulder 21 land above this enlargement 20, the .bore

is continued upward vas at 22. 'It will be seen that when the cap is forced down tight upon the face 11 ,of the :member 10, the spring will be re- `8D ceived within the enlargement `20 and the free portion `oi the spring will spring outward as in AFigure 1, the terminal end of the springengaging against the end of the shoulder 2l. The Alower face'of the-cap vimmediately surrounding lthe bore 85 v19 is formed Awith a cam surface `23 'and the upper Aface of 'the member 10 immediately surrounding the spindle is also formed with a corresponding cam surface 24. These `cam-surfaces mate when the cap is either in the position parallel Ito the portion 10 and covering the opening 12 :or when the cap 18 lis at right angles to the `portion 10, the cap 'being held with its cam surfaces in matspring 16.

In Figure c I iuustrate anotherzfbrm of spring for the purpose of urging .the `cap downward yagainst `the face l1 of the portion I10 and in this case, the spring .25 is U-shaped in cross section and has outwardly turned terminal ends. The 100 spring 4'25 is 'held in `place `by the headed pin 26 which extends down yinto they spindle l"14:, yThe terminalfends of this spring L25 bear against the shoulder 21 kof the -enlargement'Z .and the spring yieldingly `resists any upward movement of the 1105 cap.` vIt Vis lobvious that the cap may 'be assembled upon the Vspindle 4liby simply forcing the cap downward on the spindle whereupon the -.bore 19 will `force inward the ends rof the spring '25 and then the endsofith'e-spring 25'will spring outward 1l0 into applied position when the spring the enlargement 20.

While I have illustrated in Figure l a certain form of cam, I do not wish to be limited to this as other forms of cam might be used. Thus in Figure 6 I have illustrated a cam constructed as follows. The upper face 11 or" the member 10 is formed with a plurality of rounded bosses or protuberances27 while the vunder face of the cap is formed with, corresponding, cavities. 28 which passes into receive these protuberances when the capiti' is parallel to the member 10. When the cap is turned, however, it rides up on these protuberances until the cap is turned at right angles to the member 10, whereupon the recesses 28 again receive these protuberances. I

It will be seen that I have provided a dispensing tube with a cap which cannot-become lost, which is easily turned into or out of closing position, which is so constructed that it cannot accidently Y. be turned fromits closingposi-tion or toits clos- -ingposition, and furthermore that I have pro- `vided acap which, ,because of the relatively large vfiat sides,.is capable of ,receiving Vornamentation or initial letters so that the tube may be identified or trade-marked. Because of the fact that the .n .cap is rectangular in cross section, a large area is Yprovided for the application of fingers and thumbin turning the cap so that the cap may be readily snapped into its closing position or into `its open position. The, cap may be constructed lfrom metal, bakelte, hard rubber or any plastic Amaterial and, of course,.may be constructed of metal, if desired, or of any other suitable material.y y

It will beseenthat the cam shoulders 23 and ....24 or 27 and 28 assist in easing the top over the slight rim or flange 13 around the delivery opening andaid in holding the top detachably locked in its closing position or in its open position. The

bottom face of the cap 18 is providedwith a recess in which a body of cork, rubber, or other suitable material, is placed, as indicated at 13', to form a seal for contact with the flange 13. 'Ihe spring pressure with which the cap is drawn .downward tends to compress this seal over the end of the tube opening and thus prevents leakage or drying ofthe material contained within the tube.

While I have described two forms of my device,

that minor changes might be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as Vdeiined in the appended claims.

, I claim:--

, A dispensing tube having a nozzle at its discharge end formed with a flat upper surface and having a discharge orifice, there being an upwardly extending rim around the oriiice, a cap pivoted upon the iiat face of the nozzle for moveiment in the plane of said face toward or from the orice, the cap having a recess on its under facemating with the rim, anda spring yieldingly Iholding the cap downward against the flat face rof the nozzle.. Y

2. A. dispensing tube having a nozzle at its dischargeend formed with a nat upper surface and havinga discharge orifice, the mouth ofthe orice having an upwardly extending rim, a cap pivotedupon the flat face of the nozzlefor movement in theplane of said face, the pivotal connection permitting the cap to lift, and a spring urging the cap downward against the face of the nozzle, and coacting means between the under face-of the cap andthe uppervface ofv thev nozzle as it is turned away angles to the nozzle and turned away from the orifice.

4. A dispensing tube having a nozzle at its discharge end formed with a nat upper surface and having a discharge orifice, a spindle extending upward from the nozzle, a cap mounted upon said spindle for movement in the plane of the nozzle face and toward or away from the orifice, and a spring carried on the spindle and operatively engaging the cap and urging thecap downward.

Y, 5. A dispensing tube having a nozzle, at its discharge end formed with aiiat uppersurfaceand having a discharge oriCa spindle extending upward from the nozzlea cap, mounted upon said spindlefor movement in the plane ofthe nozzle;

, 3100 face and toward or away from the oriiice, and a Aspring carried on the spindle and operatively engaging the V,cap and urging the vcap downward, and cam means formedbetween the underiace of the cap and the upper fa .ce oftheV nozzle acting 6105 to lift the cap from the face of the nozzle asrthe cap is turned, said cam means acting to detachably latch the cap in its closed positionner its open position. Y 3

l 6, A dispensing tube having a nozzle at its dis-5110 charge end formed with a flat upper surface Vand having a discharge orice, a spindle extending Vupward from the flat face of the nozzle, a cap. having a bore to receive the spindle, the bore at its inner end being Vformed Vwith an'annularenlarge- 115 ment forming an annular shoulder, and a resilient member mounted upon the upper Aend of the spindle and normally projecting laterally therefrom and yieldingly engaging against said annular 'shoulder to yieldingly resist upward movement 012120 the cap.

'7. A dispensing tube having a nozzleat its discharge end formed with a flatv upper surfaceand having a discharge orifice, a spindle extending upward from the iiat face of the nozzle, Ya cap hav-125 ing a bore to receive' the spindle, the bore at its inner end being formed with an annular enlargement forming an annular shoulder, and a resili- V ent member mounted uponv the upper end of the spindle and normally projectinglaterally therefrom and yieldingly engaging against said annular shoulder to yieldingly resist upward movement of the cap, the orifice having an upwardly projecting rim and the confronting faces of the nozzle and cap having cam elements mating whenthe cap is turned to a position closing the orifice or to a position unclosing the orice, the cam members acting tolift the capas the cap isrotated from its closing position.

8. A dispensing tube having a nozzle at its dis-V140 charge end formed with a flat uppersurface andA having a discharge orice therethrough, theorifice being` formedwith an upwardly projecting rim, a spindle extending upward from the upper face of the nozzle 'and spaced from the oriiice, a-1A5 spring mounted upon the upper end of the 'spini .dle and having a portion extending downward and enlarged portion atits upper end providing an an-o nular shoulder with which the end of the spring engages, the spring thus swiveling the cap upon the spindle and yieldingly urging the cap downward, the confronting faces of the cap and nozzle concentric to the spindle being formed with co-acting cam faces mating when the cap is in a position over the orifice or when it has been turned away from the orice to a predetermined distance.

9. A dispensing tube having a nozzle at its discharge end, the nozzle being rectangular in plan and having a discharge orifice formed with an upwardly extending rim, and a cap rectangular in plan and rectangular in side elevation pivoted eccentrically with relation to the orifice in the nozzle, the under face of the cap having at one point a recess to receive the rim of the discharge orifice, the pivotal connection between the cap and nozzle permitting the movement of the cap outward from the nozzle, and resilient means urging the cap downward against the face of the nozzle.

10. A paste dispensing tube having a nozzle at its discharge end, the nozzle having a flat upper surface and a discharge oriiice surrounded by an inwardly and upwardly beveled rim, a cap pivoted upon the flat face of the nozzle for movement in the plane of said face from a position with the cap extending over the oriiice to a position with the cap entirely uncovering said orifice, the cap having a recess on its under face adapted to receive the rim, and resilient means yieldingly urging the.

cap toward the flat face of the nozzle, said cap riding upward over the rim as the cap is turned into parallel relation to the nozzle and then springing down over the rim.

JOHN A. MITCHELL. 

